(PUEBLO, Colo) — It’s almost time to celebrate filmmakers from Colorado and around the world, as they gather in the Steel City next weekend to showcase their unique eye for films.
The Pueblo Film Festival will hand out its “Steely” trophies to the winners of seven movie categories at its second annual event on April 24th through the 27th. The inaugural festival was held in 2024 and is gaining popularity and momentum in Southern Colorado.
Courtesy: FOX21 Photojournalist Hunter Phipps
“We were absolutely shocked by how many people we had come out,” said Andrea Naglich, the Executive Producer for the Pueblo Film Festival.
Naglich tells FOX21 News they were anticipating 65 to 100 people to come out to the initial festival last year, but ended up drawing in 300 people.
“I was flabbergasted,” said Jeff Madeen, the Board President for the Pueblo Film Festival
Madeen is the brain behind the idea of a film festival in Pueblo, as it stems from his passion for filmmaking.
“I went to the Chicago Art Institute many years ago, where I took a film class,” Madeen said. “I had a girlfriend; she was a videographer, and I helped her create some music videos.”
The inaugural festival saw 70 film submissions, which came in various forms from short films to feature-length movies. This year’s festival will show 65 entries, which the film festival board selected from 120 films submitted by filmmakers from Colorado and around the world.
“We have two young ladies from Canada who made an incredible film, all about the history of women in filmmaking,” Naglich said.
The four-day event is set to take place at three locations, including Blo Back Gallery in Pueblo, which Madeen owns, along with the El Pueblo Museum and Pueblo Memorial Hall. Both Madeem and Naglich are hoping to continue a trend of filmmakers finding their way to Colorado, alongside the recent announcement of the Sundance Film Festival coming to Boulder in 2027.
“New Mexico has a giant film community,” Naglich said. “Large studios have made their home there, and we are the hub between Boulder and New Mexico.”
The festival kicks off on Thursday, April 24th, and runs through Sunday, April 27th. The awards ceremony is free to attend. You can buy tickets through the Pueblo Film Festival website.
